Review: Kebab King

Kebab King is a traditional Turkish restaurant complete with questionable furniture, flaming open kitchen and plenty of meat on the menu.

To get the juices flowing, we explored the traditional dips selection with a six-dish sample platter (RMB68). Served with a blimp-like balloon of their impressive signature puffed bread, we especially liked the well-made hummus, quenching yoghurt haydari, and perfectly tart stuffed dolmades. Moreish too, are their puff borek (RMB30), piping hot puff pastries filled with spinach that ooze flavor.

Vegetable amuse bouche aside, the core of Kebab King’s Turkish menu is all about meat and flames. The kuzu sis (RMB78), tenderly grilled, well-seasoned plate of boneless lamb served on flat bread, is no culinary masterpiece, but is satisfyingly primitive, allowing the meat to speak without interruption. Far less impressive was a chicken doner with pilau (RMB65). The morsels of too-dry chicken mixed with rice were too bland and greasy for the price.

Wash it down with a nectar-sweet Efes (RMB30) and balance is restored. Perhaps it’s not a place for a romantic date, but Kebab King is a cheerful if not cheap addition to Shanghai’s underrepresented carnivore circuit.